workbench construction advise solicited

[John Piwaron]

I'm about to start construction of a new workbench. Not my first, it'll be my 3rd. The one I use now is the one in issue #50 of Woodsmith magazine.

Chiefly, I want to use holdfasts and a board jack. I'll make it longer than my current. With a thicker top.

I've seen the split top Roubo. What's the purpose of the split top? I'm not understanding that.

Also, the vises. I've seen the dog leg face vise ala Frank Klausz's bench, leg vises and the kind I have now an ordinary face vise. Any favorite there? I've lived with my face vise racking since I built it. no problem. not liked, but not a problem either. Does a leg vise get rid of that?

Then the biggest choice. What's the difference between a tail vise and the wagon vise? Mine has a wagon vise controlled by a vise screw. Never a problem. But is there an advantage to a traditional tail vise I'm missing?

Beyond that - hardware recommendations. Who's making [U]good[U] hardware nowadays? I see Lie-Nielsen is offering a good looking tail vise hardware set. Anyone else? How about really good hardware for a face vise?

[Jim Matthews]

Perhaps a discussion would be best started if you mentioned how you like to work.

I'm comfortable milling boards by hand, so my bench is set up to handle panels on the top.
The split top Roubo allows for a batten to be set in the middle, acting as a stop for cross grain surfacing.

I'm more likely to just screw a batten into the top of my bench, if needed.

The leg vise makes edge work really easy, with a sliding support holding up the other end.
Paired with a crochet, it's VERY handy.

I highly recommend Bob Rozaieski's Logan Cabinet Shoppe (http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2010/05/episode-23/) podcasts, it holds lots of real-time demonstrations of simple tasks.
These show the work holding methods clearly.

FWIW - I don't much use vises on the right hand side of my bench, so no wagon vise or end vise on my bench.
When I want to hold something on the right hand side, I use a Moxxon.

[Thomas L. Miller]

John,
I have a split top Roubo. The split top is also useful when clamping pieces to the bench for either working or using the bench top as a caul when glueing. I have a leg vise and a wagon vise (both Benchcrafted). I haven't had issues with the leg vise racking. I haven't found workpiece yet that I haven't been able to hold including large round table tops. My bench is made from ash and is very heavy. That's another plus for the Roubo design. I use my bench for both hand and power tools. Hope you enjoy the process!
Tom

[John Piwaron]

Thanks for the advise so far! I see the advantage of the split top now, the ability to put clamps in the middle and a board to act as a stop when planing something. I'm not much on planing, but right now I also don't have a good way to hold boards for that.

What I do is a lot of is power tool work. Routers and now my Domino. What I want the new bench to do is hold my workpieces for me. Better than how it can now. A single row of bench dog holes isn't enough. Clamping to the front isn't really enough either. that's where holdfasts and now the split top come in.

But there's still the decision about what kind of vises to build into the bench. I'm liking the sound of a leg vise. I'm already familiar with a wagon vise since I've used one for years. But I wonder if I'm missing something by not having used a traditional tail vise.

[Jim Matthews]

Building a Roubo bench is a laborious task.
If you're not a hand tool user, it may be overbuilt.

The Joshua Finn design is modular, effective and intended for a working shop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzrXuOCEKvU

The set up is intended for use with power tools, as you describe.

[John Piwaron]

Well, here's my plan. I'm going to make it a split top. I'm including holes for a pair of holdfasts I ordered from Gramercy Tools. In Brooklyn, NY I believe. :) Since I have plenty of experience with a regular wood vise - the kind with the big wood jaw, I'll build a leg vise this time. I'm definitely making a board jack this time. And a wagon vise. I didn't get any remarks on that yet, but my current bench has one of those and I'm just can't think of anything I don't like about it. A traditional tail vise does the same thing except has the ability to trap things between it and the main part of the top. I'm concerned about it sagging over time from what I've read in other posts. Maybe for me that'd never happen, but why change what's working.

I'm going to make it 7 feet long. I'd like to make it at least as wide as the current, maybe wider. That's 26". The exact height to be determined. I'm 6'2", I'll think about that, how I work, what kind's of work I normally do and decide about that a bit later. I think about the height issue every time I have to do something in the kitchen at the too low (for me) counters.

There will be a row of holes for chisels but no tool tray. I may include some method of connecting an add on cabinet rising from the back. Maybe something underneath after allowing for the vises, holdfasts and any clamping in the middle.

I bought 100 bd ft of hard maple yesterday to kick off the project. All 8/4 planks 10 feet long. That's actually not so many of them. :(

[Russell Sansom]

The face vice you asked about...allows one to clamp a board work piece. You can find a treatise on it in one of the Krenov books if you're really interested. I do a lot of work on small parts so it makes sense in my shop. As a source of pride, I can easily clamp a sheet of paper in it and it is dressed so it won't scar or emboss the work. If you only need to move a dog in and out, a traditional tail vice might be an extravagance.